Cost Approach

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DEFINITION of 'Cost Approach'

A real estate valuation method that surmises that the price someone should pay for a piece of property should not exceed what someone would have to pay to build an equivalent building. In cost approach pricing, the market price for the property is equivalent to the cost of land plus cost of construction, less depreciation. It is often most accurate for market value when the property is new.

INVESTOPEDIA EXPLAINS 'Cost Approach'

Cost approach is one of three popular valuation methods for real estate, the others are the income approach and the comparables approach. The cost approach methodology requires certain assumptions, such as the availability of land. If land is not available to build on then it is not possible to substitute existing property. Additionally, the method does not address whether an exactly equivalent structure must be built is to be built, or what if the cost of an equivalent building can be effectively estimated.